Paul Ryan Tells Republican Party to Move Past Trump

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Former House Speaker Paul Ryan warns the Republican Party “not to get caught up in every little cultural battle” and to move beyond Donald Trump.
• Ryan said the GOP won’t go forward if it continues its obsession with the former president.
• Ryan, a part of a speaker series on the GOP’s future, spoke Thursday night at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi, California.

Paul Ryan warned Republicans Thursday night that voters will be impatient for a party obsessed with former President Donald Trump. The former speaker of the House told Conservatives who attended the speaking engagement at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California that they reached a crossroads.

“If the conservative cause depends on the populist appeal of one personality, or on second-rate imitations, then we’re not going anywhere,” Ryan said without naming Trump. ” Voters looking for Republican leaders want to see independence and mettle.”

Ryan added, “They will not be impressed by the sight of yes-men and flatterers flocking to Mar-a-Lago.”

In 2018, Ryan retired from the House and was succeeded by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy as the top House Republican. McCarthy spent time with the former president at his Mar-a-Lago resort early this year.

“It was horrifying to see a presidency come to such a dishonorable and disgraceful end,” Ryan said, talking about how Trump’s presidency ended.

But it’s not all criticism for Ryan as he praised President Trump, mentioning his name, for the growth of the economy during his presidency and for bringing in new party supporters, “To his credit, Donald Trump brought many new voters into our party.”

A recent poll conducted by Quinnipiac University revealed that 85% of Republicans would prefer to see candidates who most agree with Trump. Also, 66% of them want to see Trump run again in 2024.

Source: CBS News